Mattress package

ABSTRACT

A mattress package having a barrier layer which encapsulates the entire mattress, two skid pads which cover and protect the top and bottom portion of the mattress, and two side trays which cover and protect the left and right sides of the mattress. The side trays cover a portion of the skid pads and the entire assembly is banded by two or more securing bands. Two or more handles are positioned on the front and back surfaces of the side trays on both the left and right sides. The handles provide grips for the mattress package to facilitate handling. The mattress package provides sufficient strength and protection to the mattress while utilizing a minimal amount of packaging materials.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/357,865, filed Jan. 25, 2012 which claims priority to U.S.Patent Application No 61/435,967, filed on Jan. 25, 2011. Theaforementioned United States patent applications are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to packaging and protectivecovering, and more particularly to packaging for mattresses or otherproducts of similar characteristics, shapes or dimensions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The packaging of mattresses for shipping, distribution, handling andeventual sale presents a formidable challenge given the size and natureof the product. Mattresses are too large for practical packaging in aseparate container such as a box, yet must have substantial protectionfrom damage and soiling to maintain the “as new” condition required forretail marketing and sale. This has led to the widespread use of heaviergauge plastic film as a wrapping material which encapsulates themattress. The formation of a plastic film package about a mattress hasbeen automated, as descried for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,934,041,6,178,723 and 6,273,257. These packages typically produce a fused seamof the plastic sheet material about the perimeter of the mattress which,although strong enough to keep the sealed plastic package intact, doesnot provide any greater barrier than the inherent strength of theplastic sheet material. The strength of this type of packaging is inmany instances inadequate to protect the product completely from thefactory to final installation in a purchaser's bedroom. This is largelydue to the substantial size and weight of modern day mattresses, and thehandling tendency to stock and mown the so-packaged mattress along theperipheral border, Because such package has no built-in gripping points,the plastic material is further stressed by gripping of a section ofmaterial by the handlers. Once the plastic is torn, either as a resultof such handling or from abrasion, the mattress upholstery is readilyexposed to soiling and damage, which significantly reduces the retailvalue or even prevents retail sale of the product. Given thesubstantially cost and handling requirements of these types of products,returns and recalls due to failure of the packaging are extremely costlyto the manufacturer.

Thus there is a need for a mattress package which provides adequateprotection while providing convenient gripping points and which utilizesa minimal amount of material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The mattress packaging of the present disclosure and related inventionsis described herein as having a barrier layer which substantiallyencloses a mattress, two skid pads which are positioned over a top sideand a bottom side of the mattress and over the barrier layer, and twoside trays having a floor and four side walls, the four side wallshaving a plurality of apertures thereon which serve as gripping points.A first side tray is positioned over the right side of the mattress anda second side tray is positioned over the left side of the mattress andthe two side trays are secured to the mattress using two or moreremovable straps which wrap around the mattress package.

In another aspect of the invention, a mattress package is described ashaving a substantially rectangular mattress having a top surface, abottom surface opposite and parallel to the top surface and four sidewalls perpendicular to and extending between the top and bottom surface,a barrier layer comprising two sheets of material which are closedaround a mattress on four sides, a first skid pad which comprises au-shaped channel having a floor and two side walls wherein a first sidewall of the mattress is inserted into the u-shaped channel, a secondskid pad which comprises a u-shaped channel having a floor and two sidewalls wherein a second side wall of the mattress, located opposite thefirst side, is inserted into the u-shaped channel, a first side traywhich comprises a floor, two side walls and two end walls, wherein athird side of the mattress is inserted into the first side tray, and asecond side tray which comprises a floor, two side walls and two endwalls, wherein a fourth side wall of the mattress is inserted into thesecond side tray and at least two removable straps attached horizontallyaround the mattress over the first and second side trays.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a side tray of the Mattress Package ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a representative die cut of a side tray used inthe Mattress Package of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a mattress and components of the MattressPackage of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fully assembled Mattress Package ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a representative die cut of an alternateembodiment of the side tray used in the Mattress Package of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

The mattress packaging of the present disclosure and related inventionsprovides sufficient protection to the mattress while minimizing theamount of materials used. The packaging material includes a plasticwrapping or bag, two cardboard skid pads, and two cardboard side trays,

A barrier layer 42 (shown in FIG. 4) is first positioned around themattress 50 to protect the mattress 50 from dirt, debris, rain, snow orany other substance coming in contact with the mattress 50. In apreferred embodiment, the barrier layer 42 is a 4-mil polyethylenebag-like structure, although any suitable material producible in sheetor bag form and which can be sealed by thermal or mechanical means canbe used. The barrier layer 42 envelopes the entire mattress 50 andincludes one open end through which the mattress is inserted. Once themattress 50 is completely covered by the barrier layer 42, the open endis closed using an adhesive or other thermal or mechanical closingmechanism.

Two skid pads 40 are used to protect the top and bottom sides of themattress perimeter 52. Each skid pad 40 consists of a single piece ofcardboard having two fold lines along which each skid pad 40 is foldedto form a U-shaped channel having a floor and two side walls into whicheach end of the mattress is inserted. The skid pads 40 protect the topand bottom sides and border of the mattress 50.

A fully assembled side tray 10, shown in FIG. 1 includes a floor A orbottom and four side walls B, C, D, E with an open top through which along side of a mattress 50 is inserted. A die cut of a side tray 10 isshown in FIG. 2. The side tray 10 contains three elongate panels. A mainpanel A is connected to a first side panel B along a first fold line 12and a second side panel C along a second fold line 14. In a preferredembodiment, the main panel A, first B and second C side panels are eachapproximately 81¼″ long, with the main panel A being approximately 1213/16″ wide and each of the first B and second side panels beingapproximately 8⅞″ wide. Side tab F is connected to one distal end ofside panel B along fold line 16 and side tab C is connected to theopposite distal end of side panel B along fold line 18. Side tab H isconnected to one distal end of side panel C along fold line 20 and sidetab I is connected to the opposite distal end of side panel C along foldline 22. End tab D is connected to one distal end of main panel A alongfold line 24 and end tab E is connected to the opposite distal end ofmain panel A along fold line 26. End tab D is further connected tointermediate tab J along fold line 28 and intermediate tab J isconnected to locking tab K along fold line 30. End tab E is furtherconnected to intermediate tab L along fold line 32 and intermediate tabL is connected to locking tab M along fold line 34.

As further shown in FIG. 2, side panels B and C each contain threeapertures 36 which are evenly spaced apart from the horizontal center ofthe panel. Each aperture 36 is approximately five inches wide having asubstantially oval shape to accommodate the hand of a user. Two outerapertures 36 a, 36 c are strategically positioned approximately 20inches from each end of each side panel with approximately 12 13/16inches between a center aperture 36 b and the two outer apertures 36 a,36 c. Each aperture is used as a gripping point or handle for ease oflifting and transporting a mattress 50 contained therein. Each of theside tabs F, G, H, I, end tabs D, E and locking tabs K, M also containan aperture 38 thereon which correspond to handles or gripping pointslocated at the distal ends of each side tray 10. The handles orapertures 38 located at each short end of each side tray 10 aresubstantially rectangular being approximately 3.5 inches wide and 2.5inches tall. The three handles 36 a-36 c run along each of the sidepanels B, C so that when the side trays 10 are inserted over the sideperimeter of a mattress 52, handles or gripping points are available onboth the front and back side of the mattress 50 and also on both theleft and right sides of the mattress 50 to facilitate lifting, pushing,pulling or otherwise moving the enclosed mattress 50.

An alternate embodiment of side panels B and C is shown in FIGS. 5-7.The outer apertures 36 a, 36 c, are positioned at a 45-degree angle withrespect to the horizontal top edge of the panel. Both apertures areangled outward so they are each slanting in a different direction, asshown in the figures. The center aperture 36 b has an inverted heardshape and is located at the horizontal center of each panel. Each sideof the inverted-heart shape is positioned approximately 45-degrees fromthe horizontal bottom edge of each panel. Each of the outer apertures 36a, 36 c is approximately 5-inches long and approximately 2-inches wide,with the center aperture 36 b being approximately 4-inches wide.

To construct the side trays 10 from the die cut, side panels B and C arefolded upward along fold lines 12 and 14 so that they are perpendicularto main panel A. Next, side tab pairs F and H and G and I are foldedinward along fold lines 16 and 20 and 18 and 22 respectively. Then, endtabs D and E are folded upward so that each end tab is parallel withfolded side tabs F and H and G and I. The end tab is folded along lines28 and 30 and 32 and 34 so that locking tabs K and M are folded downwardover the inside surface of end tabs D and E respectively so that theapertures located on each of the panels K and D and M and E are inalignment Locking mechanisms N and O are then folded through the upperedge of the aligned apertures located in tabs K and D and M and E tosecure the panels together in their upright position, forming two endwalls with openings 38 which serve as handles or gripping points at eachend of the side tray.

An exploded view of a mattress with packaging components is shown inFIG. 3. Once top and bottom mattress 50 ends are inserted into each ofthe skid pad channels 40, the side trays 10 are inserted over the rightand left sides of the mattress perimeter 52. The side trays 10 partiallyextend over each skid pad 40, as shown in FIG. 4, to secure each skidpad 40 to the top or bottom mattress ends. Once the skid pads 40 andside trays 10 are in place, the entire mattress 50 with packaging isbanded by two or more, preferably four, plastic straps or bands 44 tosecure the side trays 10 to the mattress 50. The straps or bands 44should bind the packaging to the mattress 50 without obstructing use ofthe handles 36 a-36 e, 38. The vertical sides of the mattress and aportion of the horizontal surfaces of the mattress proximate to theborder are protected by the frame-like structure created by the two skidpads 40 in combination with the two side trays 10. The sides and border52 of the mattress are particularly vulnerable or susceptible to damagebecause, due to the large size and weight of mattresses, they are oftenmoved by pushing, pulling or sliding the mattress along while it is in avertical position, resting on either the left or right side of themattress or on the top or bottom side of the mattress. The frame-likestructure also makes it conducive to stack the mattresses horizontallyduring loading, unloading, shipping or storage thereof. The skid pads 40and side trays 10 may have increased strength and durability by usingdouble walled corrugated cardboard.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a side tray 10 withopenings 36 a, 36 b and 36 c which are configured and oriented forergonomic gripping and handling of the package.

Compared to traditional mattress packaging, which may consist in oneform of several layers of heavy gauge plastic which is wrapped severaltimes around a mattress, the mattress package of the present inventionprovides a less costly solution by using inexpensive material, namely,cardboard and polyethylene. The packaging of the present invention alsoprovides increased visibility of the mattress at arrival, including themattress tag or label. This provides the opportunity to inspect themattress without having to open the packaging. The frame-like packagingin combination with the barrier layer minimizes the amount of materialthat is used which in turn generates less waste.

1. A mattress package comprising: a barrier layer which substantiallyencloses a mattress; two skid pads which are positioned over a top sideand a bottom side of the mattress and over the barrier layer; two sidetrays having a floor and four side walls, the four side walls having aplurality of apertures thereon which serve as gripping points; wherein afirst side tray is positioned over the right side of the mattress and asecond side tray is positioned over the left side of the mattress, andwherein the two side trays are secured to the mattress using two or moreremovable straps which wrap around the mattress package, and wherein theplurality of apertures for each side tray is formed entirely on a singleplanar surface of the side tray.
 2. The mattress package of claim 1,wherein the two skid pads and two side trays are made of double walledcorrugated cardboard.
 3. The mattress package of claim 1, wherein thebarrier layer is a polyethylene bag.
 4. The mattress package of claim 1,wherein the two side trays extend over a top surface and a bottomsurface of the mattress for approximately 9 inches.
 5. The mattresspackage of claim 1, wherein the two side trays each contain eightapertures which serve as gripping points.
 6. The mattress package ofclaim 1, wherein the length of each of the two side trays isapproximately equal to the length of the mattress.
 7. The mattresspackage of claim 1, wherein the width of each of the two skid pads isless than or equal to the width of the mattress.
 8. The mattress packageof claim 1, wherein each of the two side trays extend over a portion ofthe two skid pads.
 9. The mattress package of claim 1, wherein the twoside trays are secured to the mattress using four removable straps. 10.The mattress package of claim 1, wherein there are six gripping pointson a top surface of the mattress, six gripping points on a bottomsurface of the mattress, two gripping points on a top side surface ofthe mattress and two gripping points on a bottom side surface of themattress.